Less than a month into his new position Flynn resigned after he reportedlydiscussed U.S. sanctions on Russiawith the Russian ambassador to the U.S. before President Donald Trump took office, and misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.

But reading through the hawkish social-media messages reveals a different intent: Most Twitter users are spreading "Kill Mike Flynn"to express their incredulity that it's spreading, or to blame others for disseminating the phrase:

How is " Kill Mike Flynn " trending on twitter... the Dems have gone crazy and lost all sense of morality. Sad!

Metro traced the origins of the phrase back to the Daily Caller, a prominent news site co-founded by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and a podium for conservative voices.

According to nonprofit media research group MediaMatters.org, the Daily Caller was founded by a financial investor with ties to the Koch brothers who has donated "at least $1 million to conservative causes that the Kochs support."

The Daily Caller has "functioned more as an outlet for opposition research paid for by the donor class," Media Matters wrote, quoting investigative journalist Jane Mayer's book "Dark Money."